Long Beach brewpub Beachwood BBQ turns 3, and there will be a party

By John Verive

Jun 20, 2014 | 2:22 PM

There will be plenty of beer on tap for Beachwood's third birthday. (Julie Verive)

In just three years the Long Beach brewpub Beachwood has earned a place among the best beer-slinging establishments around -- it was even awarded "Mid-Sized Brewpub of the Year" at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival -- and they are celebrating their anniversary with a party on July 5.

The festivities begin at 10 a.m. when Beachwood will offer a brunch menu for the first time. The house-made pastrami will also make a return this year, along with the pickle bar and "deep fried spaghetti and meatballs." (Hopefully some of chef-owner Gabe Gordon's charcuterie makes an appearance as well.)

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Beer of course will be the focus of the shindig, with 45 Beachwood beers on tap. Last year's anniversary party tap list was intense and daunting, and this year there will be twice as many brews to choose from. Favorites like Beyond a Reasonable Stout, Loma Prieta, Mocha Machine and Hop Jitsu will pour alongside the brewery's award winners such as Udder Love, Foam Top and El Varno.

There will be plenty of hoppy brews, including the new anniversary beer Green Shift brewed for the occasion. Green Shift is a big double IPA (what else) that features a half-dozen fragrant hop varieties, and if Beachwood's Anniversary beer track-record is an indication the new brew could be the hit of the party. Bottles to take home will also be available at the event.

Brewmaster Julian Shrago has also whipped up some variations on his flagship Melrose IPA. The Melrose Trifecta includes casks of the base Melrose IPA dry hopped with Amarillo and Simcoe hops, another version dry-hopped with Citra, and a third made with Mosaic hops.

But wait, there's more.

There will be a few other cask ale offerings, a selection of Beachwood's past collaboration brews (including the upcoming Unapologetic IPA -- a team-up with Stone Brewing and Heretic Brewing), and rarities like 8 Buffalo, Barrel-Aged Jean Quad Van Damme and the Armenian coffee-laced System of a Stout.